]]>Dairy products like ice cream and milk can prove productive parts of the c-store sales mix in the months to come provided retailers and suppliers are open to aggressive merchandising, flexible pricing and flavor innovation.

According to Mary Chapman, senior director of product innovation for Chicago-based research and consulting firm Technomic Inc., 73% of consumers said they buy ice cream as a snack at least occasionally, or at least once every 90 days. “Most of those snack options are most often consumed mid-evening and at retail,” she said. Interestingly, 47% said they buy frozen novelties for snacks.
Curt Rolland, director of retail operations for Golden Gate Petroleum in Martinez, Calif., which operates 25 convenience stores, said that in his stores ice cream novelties sell better than gallon or half-gallon containers.

To reinvigorate sales of large packages, Golden Gate has started running two-fer specials on gallons for the first time. “One thing we’ve found that helps is that we have lowered the gallon price and raised the half-gallon price 60 cents to compensate for it,” he said. Gallon containers of ice cream are priced at $3.99, half-gallons at $2.79. “It has not cut into our half-gallon sales, and has definitely helped our gallon sales. It worked,” Rolland added.

Fluid white milk sales continue to decline despite efforts to promote its protein content. Golden Gates’ sales, Rolland said, have been flat at best. “It doesn’t seem to be as big a part of my sales as it has been in previous years.”

“There have been some new (dairy) items and brands, but growth has been slow,” said David Crawford, vice president of operations for Green Valley Grocery in Las Vegas, which operates 55 convenience stores. “We are expanding f’real in some of our locations.”

For Robert Morgan, a 40-year industry veteran and president of C-Store Consulting Inc. in Port Orange, Fla., the key to strong dairy sales in 2015 will hinge on merchandising.

“Most of the time it gets tucked away in the cooler,” Morgan said. “The operator doesn’t do a whole lot of product placement. They don’t do banners, they don’t do signs; very rarely will you see that. It’s the same thing with their ice cream category. Most of it is stuck in a freezer along a side wall, or in their walk-in. It’s there because they’ve got to have it, but you don’t see them doing too much with it.”
The challenge, Morgan continued, is that dairy products, including ice cream, are low-margin items.

“It’s hard to justify moving them into a better spot when you can move stuff there that you can be making twice as much money on,” Morgan said. “So if they really want to promote that stuff they’ve got to something to really draw attention to it.”

Opportunities to do that exist. For instance, retail sales of dairy alternatives made from soy, almonds, rice and coconut milk in the U.S. should top $1.7 billion by 2016, according to Marketresearch.com. In addition, with new FDA labeling regulations set to be finalized soon, dairies, which will be required to add a considerable amount of nutritional information to their labeling under new industry guidelines, can use the opportunity to revamp their traditionally drab carton designs, adding color and eye-catching graphics.

]]>Chocolate candy sales totaled $2.66 billion for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2014, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data. That’s a jump of 3.2% compared to same period the previous year. Unit sales for the same period totaled 1.83 billion, up 0.47% over the same period.

Meanwhile, non-chocolate candy brought in dollar sales of $1.98 billion for the same period, a rise of 4.37%, while unit sales of 1.55 billion, were up 1% over the previous year.

“Non-chocolate is benefiting from very high growth in the biggest segment, which is chewy candy,” said Jenn Ellek, senior director, trade marketing and communications for the National Confectioners Association (NCA). “Taking up more than one-third of total non-chocolate sales, chewy candy has been on fire. For instance in the last two months of the year, chewy candy grew a whopping 9.5%, compared with breath fresheners at 4%, hard candy at 0.8% and novelty at 1.6%.”

When it comes to chocolate, Ellek noted that gourmet chocolate continues to be a very hot segment of the market, having featured double-digit growth for several fiscal quarters.

Regarding popular flavor trends in 2015, Ellek pointed to sour and tart salts; alternative, natural sugars like coconut; locally-sourced ingredients on the label; and increasingly bolder flavor pairings—“think curry and toffee in one bite and far out spices originating from Japan and the Middle East,” Ellek said.

PRICING WOES
Price increases in 2014 continue to impact the chocolate and non-chocolate categories at the retail level in 2015.

“In the first half of the year, units will be soft,” said Tim Cote, vice president of marketing at Beaverton, Ore.-based Plaid Pantry, which operates 109 locations. “The price increase and promotional spending cuts from some candy companies combined with generally weak innovation will be a drag on units until we cycle last year’s price increase.”

The promotion-driven Millennial is always looking for a deal, and that extends into the candy category.

“Pricing is up and the customer is not sure that there is value at the new price point,” Cote said. “We have performed well with items that have been willing to price promote as aggressively with us as they do with grocery.”

Candy customers today, he noted, like bigger sizes.

“We recently added SUP (stand up poly) bags,” Cote said. “There is a general trade up around the store that could extend into candy, but bar sizes are a little off. A 3.5-ounce tablet bar is a little too big.”

SKU count is up slightly at Plaid Pantry stores. As theater boxes have been cut back, bags of all sizes have gained share of shelf.

“People see value in the bigger sizes. The continuing downtrend in standard bars will lead to SKU reductions soon unless something changes,” Cote predicted.

As for non-chocolate sales, sour candy is in high demand from Plaid Pantry customers, but hard candy struggles with shoppers. Meanwhile, seasonal products and other limited-edition items are doing better than they have in years, Cote said. That should lead to more shelf space.

Retailers can capitalize on the extra dollars customers are saving now that gas prices have dropped about $1 per gallon compared to around the same time last year.

“Convenience stores have a great opportunity to market and merchandise against those savings with reminders at the fuel pumps,” Ellek said.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/chocolate-still-sweet-as-sales-stay-steady/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/chocolate-still-sweet-as-sales-stay-steady/Gum, Mints Require Creativityhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/vfAf1GD5nhs/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/gum-mints-require-creativity/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:13:35 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58766The months to come will see c-store operators increasingly taking steps to restore or replace flagging sales of gum, either by crafting a more persuasive marketing message for older consumers or replacing some SKUs with popular mints. In the 52 weeks ending Nov. 30 2014, the regular gum segment—with $510.6 million in sales—remained much smaller

]]>The months to come will see c-store operators increasingly taking steps to restore or replace flagging sales of gum, either by crafting a more persuasive marketing message for older consumers or replacing some SKUs with popular mints.

In the 52 weeks ending Nov. 30 2014, the regular gum segment—with $510.6 million in sales—remained much smaller than the sugarless segment, which had $2.6 billion in sales in the period. But regular gum outperformed sugarless, whose sales dropped by 3.44%, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data.

As baby boomers have aged, many have left their desire to chew gum behind and manufacturers have yet to come up with a sufficiently compelling case to bring them back. Many attempted to stimulate new interest by rolling out a boatload of flavors, but that only added to already crowded store sets, leaving sales to dwindle.

Industry research shows that chewing gum sales fell by about 11% to $3.71 billion from 2009 to 2013.
Ray Johnson, operations manager for Speedee Mart Inc. in Henderson, Nev., said gum manufacturers didn’t anticipate what would happen when they decided to increase the amount of product in each package more than a year ago.

When Speedee Mart executives saw gum sales dipping, they decided to get more aggressive with mints, such as Breath Savers, Tic Tacs, Lifesavers and Altoids, broadening their selection with shelf space formerly used for gum. Johnson advised other convenience store operators to do the same.

THE RIGHT VARIETY
“To me, gum has more SKUs than their sales dictate,” Johnson said. “Mints have really been under-SKU’d when you look at the sets that are recommended by the manufacturers. I’ve gone more after the mints.”

Mints are more socially acceptable, and exciting new flavors like cucumber, watermelon and ginger have helped stimulate interest. Some consumers use mint packaging to make a fashion statement.
Ryan Mathews, founder and CEO of Detroit-based Black Monk Consulting, said the question of marketing gum can be multifaceted, but can benefit from promotion and creativity.

“If I were a major c-store operator, I would work directly with manufacturers like Wrigley to change the narrative line.”

One possible marketing narrative for gum, Mathews suggested, could be relaxation and an easily accessible sense of well being that resonates with community-minded consumers. “A more culturally-based approach, say advertising in Spanish for example, might be another,” he said.
Cause marketing is another strategy retailers can use to inject new life into gum. “Perhaps, ‘a nickel from every pack sold goes to restoring the rainforest’ might work,” said Mathews, referring to a bold environmental marketing ploy that c-store chains can consider.

Retailers may also increasingly be able to position gum as a healthy product. In January, researchers at Netherlands University of Groningen reported that chewing gum traps bacteria and can be eliminated when the gum is discarded.

“The bottom line: this is a category that screams for vendor leadership,” said Mathews. “We’ve long since passed the point where point-of-sale placement to stimulate impulse sales makes any sense as a growth vehicle. It is time for manufacturers and retailers working together to reinvent the category before it gets stuck under the desk of history.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/gum-mints-require-creativity/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/gum-mints-require-creativity/HBA Set To Grow This Yearhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/c359YXm6AaA/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/hba-set-to-grow-this-year/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:03:35 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58761Convenience stores will continue to do steady business with the health and beauty aid (HBA) category in 2015 and beyond as long as they stick to their knitting: good assortment, smaller package sizes, sharper merchandising, dependable employee assistance and seasonal products in stock when needed. Notably broad, the HBA category encompasses a slew of home

]]>Convenience stores will continue to do steady business with the health and beauty aid (HBA) category in 2015 and beyond as long as they stick to their knitting: good assortment, smaller package sizes, sharper merchandising, dependable employee assistance and seasonal products in stock when needed.

As a result, competition comes not just from other c-stores, but supermarkets, pharmacies, mass merchandisers and dollar stores as well.

Health and beauty aids are considered a category apart from all others, according to Laura Bowman, manager and buyer for University Market, a convenience store located on the campus of Portland State University. “What I’ve noticed about health and beauty is that it’s very cyclical: in the spring it’s all about the allergy tablets and the Kleenex. In the winter, it’s all about the cold tablets and the Kleenex. If I can hit those two time periods and make sure I have plenty of those specific types of products on hand, then I know I’m okay.”

In all, HBA accounts for 2.5% of University Market’s store sales, roughly a percentage point above what NACS’ research shows as the industry average.

SIZE COUNTS
Product size counts as much as selection.

“Don’t waste your time on combs and brushes,” Bowman advised, “because they are not pocket sized, and that’s what consumers want when they come into a convenience store.” For that reason, she carries and has done well stocking only a single black comb. “Women’s hair styles now are very straight, so if they see that little comb, it does the trick.”

Ed Wazney, director of marketing for Holmes Oil Co. in Chapel Hill, N.C., said he has found the same thing when it comes to the portability of HBA and other items. “The mini-travel sizes have been the best thing for the category.”

HBA benefits more than most c-store categories from employee product knowledge.“It doesn’t hurt if you can know a tiny bit about cosmetics,” Bowman said.

One of the store’s top-selling lines, Burt’s Bees, a line of lip balms, has prospered because it introduced a neutral color line, which employees bring to shoppers’ attention.

“Another piece of that is, again, a little bit of cosmetic experience helps the customer who says, ‘I need a good mascara,’” Bowman said. “The same goes for your lip gloss and blush.” Plans call for beefing up the store’s cosmetics selection.

Bowman urged retailers not to be afraid to change out lines. For example, her store no longer stocks nighttime formulations.“No one wants a PM product when they come to a convenience store,” Bowman said. “If they accidentally grab one, they’ll be behind the wheel or sitting in class falling asleep. That’s not what we want. It’s not what they want. So I’m just not going to do that.”

“We are seeing consistent top-line growth over the past 18 months—car wash counts (cars washed) and average ticket (average money spent by the consumer per wash) have both been trending upward,” said Eric Wulf, CEO of the International Carwash Association. “This is in line with the general improvements in the economy. An interesting sub-component that we are keeping our eyes on is that gasoline sales have had unusually strong margins from Q4 2014 into Q1 2015, which may lead to a bump in capital expenditures (equipment investments) in that segment over the next 6-12 months.”

Wulf noted that the ingredients for maintaining a successful car wash have remained consistent over the years: quality, convenience and speed.

“The best operators are finding new ways to deliver on all three. I would say that the very best operators are also finding ways to differentiate themselves from their competition, particularly though enhancing the customer experience,” Wulf said.

WEATHER DEPENDENT
Car wash success from year to year also depends on weather, which can vary greatly depending on region.

Leo Vercollone, president of VERC Enterprises, operates six car washes—five in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire. Two of his car washes are full tunnel car washes spanning 125-feet, while four are automatic touchless car washes.

“We’re in Boston, which has seen record snow this year since early January,” Vercollone said. “So, we haven’t been washing cars because there’s just too much snow and no one can even get out and drive. We hope business picks up when the snow starts to thaw, but then the roads will be sloppy, which doesn’t encourage washing.”

Winter is typically the season that brings cars to the car wash. But too much snow has the opposite effect. “It hasn’t been a good winter for car wash,” Vercollone said.

VERC Enterprises operates more than 23 convenience stores, but Vercollone noted the car washes are a major focus of the company too. “You can’t do car wash in a nonchalant way. We look at our car washes as a business, not a side business,” he said.

Car washes keep evolving to meet new challenges. For example, there are smaller cars today than in the past.

“Touchless is equipped to handle the universal car—so what happens when cars are really small, square or big? There are parts that might not get washed as well,” Vercollone said.
In fact, car wash operators are facing the challenge of managing sensitive equipment, keeping up with maintenance while making sure different types and sizes of cars with various types of paint are getting a quality wash.

“We have people who work on these challenges full time,” Vercollone said.

This past year, VERC Enterprises upgraded two of its car washes with new equipment.
“We’re always tweaking,” said Vercollone. “We’re adding different specials, new packages, new types of waxes and undercarriage sprays, etc. New stuff is always coming out and we need to stay on top of it.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/car-washes-trending-upward/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/car-washes-trending-upward/LED Pushes Lighting Advances Forwardhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/wllxXMgDL3k/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/led-pushes-lighting-advances-forward/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 19:51:24 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58742For NOCO Express, last December’s grand opening of its newly rebuilt store in Grand Island, N.Y. marks the evolution of its stores—and on a lesser scale—its commitment to more efficient lighting. The renovation took the formerly 950-square-foot store to 4,000 square feet, and included environmentally-friendly building technologies to reduce energy consumption. These include low-watt LED

]]>For NOCO Express, last December’s grand opening of its newly rebuilt store in Grand Island, N.Y. marks the evolution of its stores—and on a lesser scale—its commitment to more efficient lighting.

The renovation took the formerly 950-square-foot store to 4,000 square feet, and included environmentally-friendly building technologies to reduce energy consumption. These include low-watt LED lighting, refrigeration energy management and white roofing for increased light reflectivity.

A light harvesting system was installed with 16 skylights that allow natural light into the store. An energy management control system automatically dims the store lighting fixtures during the peak daylight hours on an as-needed basis.

“In our existing stores, last year at this time we were upgrading the exterior lighting on our gas canopies. We completed those,” said Scott Robinson, director of real estate for NOCO Express, which operates 37 stores throughout western New York. “In February we began converting all of our fluorescent ceiling lighting inside our stores to LED.”

Before the upgrade, NOCO had been using three-bulb fluorescent T8s (96 watts total) in the stores. During the upgrade it is converting to two-bulb LEDs (38 watts total).

“We’ll be saving $2,000 per store in energy costs. In addition, the LEDs come with a five year warranty, so we’ll be saving in maintenance fees as well.”

LIGHTING TRENDS IN 2015
Frank Sharp, senior technical leader with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)’s lighting department, noted that LEDs are the most talked about technology and becoming more widely deployed.

“They’re still not the most prominently deployed technology, but they are gaining and are anticipated, by 2020, to be the most commonly purchased lighting technology,” Sharp said. “LED sales are increasing annually as the number of products in the field grows. That trend has been going on for five years and will continue in 2015.”

The efficiencies of LEDs themselves are continuing to increase. “In general, LED retrofits provide 50% energy savings or greater, depending on the application,” Sharp said.

The rise of LEDs has forced every other lighting technology to progress as well, Sharp explained. For example, there is now a 100,000-hour linear fluorescent product. While it doesn’t offer energy savings, the long life of the product saves on maintenance.
HIDs (high-intensity discharge lamps) also have a longer life compared to 10 years ago.

Under the canopy, induction technology is being revisited. Invented by Nikola Tesla in the 1800s, it was marketed heavily in the 1990s, but had some issues with overheating.

“Today we’re seeing that technology become far better. It’s a 100,000-hour product based on industry claims, which is effectively double the life of an LED,” Sharp said. “The energy savings is more than that of a traditional product, but still less than that of an LED. But the last 18 months or so this technology has taken another step forward in that it’s now dimmable.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/led-pushes-lighting-advances-forward/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/led-pushes-lighting-advances-forward/Alternative Fuels Expanding Markethttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/MmAzWekdEQo/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/alternative-fuels-expanding-market/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 19:48:24 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58740The Fuels Institute predicts that E85 sales will increase from 196 million gallons in 2013 to between 400 million and 4.4 billion gallons in 2023. Today, between 2,685 and 3,349 retail fuel stations in the U.S. sell E85 flex fuel, according to the Fuels Institute report, “E85 A Market Performance Analysis and Forecast.” The report

]]>The Fuels Institute predicts that E85 sales will increase from 196 million gallons in 2013 to between 400 million and 4.4 billion gallons in 2023.

Today, between 2,685 and 3,349 retail fuel stations in the U.S. sell E85 flex fuel, according to the Fuels Institute report, “E85 A Market Performance Analysis and Forecast.” The report showed that E85 is available at 2.2% of the nation’s 152,900 retail fueling stations. As of January 2014, there were between 14.2 million and 16 million flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) registered in the U.S. Only FFVs are able use E85, which is an ethanol fuel blend of between 70-85% ethanol fuel and gasoline.

EDUCATING CONSUMERS
Miami-based Caraf Oil, which operates 10 locations in Florida, offers E85 at three stations and just added E15 to one station in January.

Edwin Flores, president of Caraf Oil, noted the company began offering E85 back in 2006, working with supplier and consultant ProTec Fuel.

Flores noted that the E85 customer is extremely loyal. E85 runs 20-30 cents less at Caraf Oil locations than regular unleaded gasoline. Flores hasn’t seen recent low gas prices impacting E85 sales. “Gas is a lot cheaper lately, but so is E85,” he said. He expects E85 sales to be up in 2015 overall as long as the price differential continues.

“I think we’ll see continued growth, especially as the public becomes more educated. There are a lot of flex fuel vehicles out there and the drivers are not all taking advantage of the fact that they can fuel up with E85 because sometimes they just don’t know about it,” Flores said.

The decision to add E15, was an easy one. “The more products you have to offer the general public the better off you are,” Flores said, noting he’s currently considering potentially expanding E15 to more stations.

Brian Milne, energy editor for Schneider Electric, predicted that the steep decline in gas prices could slow interest in alterative fuels in 2015.

“E15 sales will remain very weak because liability concerns remain, and the economics are challenged. Expanding E85 sales are more likely, but I believe they will struggle this year amid the plunge in oil and gasoline prices,” Milne said.

He noted that a critical element in growing E85 sales is maintaining competitive pricing with gasoline. “It needs to be close to equal to see E85 move sales. E85 has less energy. You’ll need to fuel up more times if you’re using E85 than if you’re using gasoline. The expectation is you would see more E85 going forward because there is pressure to meet the Renewable Fuels Standard. But there needs to be some sort of push that brings an opening for E85.”

While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued partial waivers for 2001 and newer vehicles, if someone fuels up with E15 and experiences engine damage not covered by their warranty, the c-store that sold the fuel could face a lawsuit, Milne said. Such concerns are likely the reason E15 has been slow to catch on. It’s currently available in 16 states at roughly 100 stations, Milne said.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/alternative-fuels-expanding-market/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/alternative-fuels-expanding-market/ATMs Help C-Stores Cash Inhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/KVwJYVgI4pM/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/atms-help-c-stores-cash-in/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 19:44:11 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58746The National ATM Council Inc. estimates there are upwards of 425,000 ATMs throughout the U.S. The majority are independently owned or operated as opposed to those operated by financial institutions. In fact, as banks have broadened online services, traffic to brick-and-mortar branches has softened, including visits to walk-up or drive-up ATMs. This situation has prompted

]]>The National ATM Council Inc. estimates there are upwards of 425,000 ATMs throughout the U.S. The majority are independently owned or operated as opposed to those operated by financial institutions.

In fact, as banks have broadened online services, traffic to brick-and-mortar branches has softened, including visits to walk-up or drive-up ATMs. This situation has prompted account holders to retrieve cash from alternative locations like retailers, which is good news for convenience stores that provide financial services for their customers.

“In some of the smaller markets we’re in, small banks or credit unions have pulled out their ATMs and referred customers to us,” said Jeff Wrobel, chief financial officer for Kwik Trip Inc. “Customers [who use our ATMs] have a location that is available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week as opposed to a bank that has to have a secured vestibule or an ATM out in the elements that’s not attended and subject to potential vandalism. It’s more efficient for them to allow customers to come to us.”

“There will be strategic decisions by financial institutions to decrease the number of branches and size of branches, and part of those strategies is going to be outsourcing to independent ATMs,” said David Tente, executive director for USA and Latin America operations for the ATM Industry Association.

Indeed, Kwik Trip, based in La Crosse, Wis., in the last few years has added to its inventory of cash-dispensing machines at 400-plus Kwik Trip and Kwik Star locations in the Midwest. The family-owned chain also operates Hearty Platter and Tobacco Outlet Plus retail sites.

“Five years ago, a quarter of our stores had two machines. Now it’s probably more 80-90% of our locations have two ATMs. A handful of stores have three ATMs,” Wrobel said.

DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY
What could stymie ATM business in c-stores, however, is if various proposed state bills are signed into law. For example, New Jersey lawmakers want to restrict cash withdrawals of government benefits via electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards exclusively to bank-owned ATMs.

“States also are looking at legislation that would forbid surcharging for these types of transactions,” Tente said.

Independent ATMs are being programmed to carry out more functions than just withdrawals, such as check cashing or distributing tax refunds, Wrobel said.

ATMs also work with smartphones for cardless withdrawals. “The user uses his mobile phone to take a picture of the bar code on the machine, and the mobile device serves to complete [the electronic transaction],” said Tente.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/atms-help-c-stores-cash-in/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/atms-help-c-stores-cash-in/Gas Prices Plateauhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/o91wEAIK2ao/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/gas-prices-plateau/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 15:13:30 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58737If a nuclear deal is reached with Iran this week, oil prices could further dip, with pump prices to potentially follow. On Monday, March 30, the national average price for regular unleaded gasoline rang in at $2.42 per gallon—only two cents more than one month ago but $1.13 less than the same date last year.

]]>If a nuclear deal is reached with Iran this week, oil prices could further dip, with pump prices to potentially follow.

On Monday, March 30, the national average price for regular unleaded gasoline rang in at $2.42 per gallon—only two cents more than one month ago but $1.13 less than the same date last year. The national average has now fallen for 17 of the past 23 days, according to a report by AAA.

While several weeks ago refineries went offline and drove gas prices higher in the Midwest and West Coast, this week as those refineries resume production, it’s helping prices to dip in those same regions. Lower oil prices have also helped lower gas prices in every state. California continues to post the highest pump prices in the nation at $3.20, while South Carolina continues to be the lowest at $2.10, followed by Tennessee at $2.14 and New Jersey at $2.16.

After increasing above $50 per barrel last week, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil has dropped. “Crude prices have fallen to multi-year lows due largely to ample global production. The possibility of increased exports from Iran should a nuclear deal be reached this week would further increase production and has for now offset any ‘risk premium’ stemming from regional stability due to violence in Yemen. A possible deal between the West and Iran could bring an estimated 500,000 barrels per day of additional oil to the global market, which would add more supply to an already well-supplied market and exert further downward pressure on crude prices,” AAA reported.

A new law passed in California that bans payment-card surcharges was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge last week, reported Pymnts.com

In 2014 California businesses sued the state, claiming their First Amendment rights were being violated. They claimed a law banning surcharges restricted retailers’ commercial speech by dictating how retailers can advertise the difference in prices when a customer pays with cash versus a credit card, when a surcharge applies to credit card payments.

The U.S. District Court Judge Morrison England on Thursday, March 26, found in favor of the retailers, noting that the law “is an unconstitutional restriction on plaintiffs’ freedom of speech and is void for vagueness.” The judge said because the language of the bill was too vague, retailers could be unaware of when they were violating the law.

The judge further explained the ruling, noting that due to the law, retailers could charge more for a product and then place a discount on that product, but that same retailer could not charge one amount and then add on a surcharge to make up for the credit card fees that the retailer would incur. Judge England said the California law therefore restricted how the retailer presented their price to the consumer, regardless of why they were charging or reducing specific prices, according to pymnts.com.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/payment-card-surcharge-ban-ruled-unconstitutional/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/payment-card-surcharge-ban-ruled-unconstitutional/Survey Points to Confidence in Foodservice Packaging Industryhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/0bJpUaLl__8/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/survey-points-to-confidence-in-foodservice-packaging-industry/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 14:40:49 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58733Optimism reigns despite economic and environmental challenges. Industry growth and sales in 2014 has led the foodservice packaging industry to forecast even greater optimism for 2015 than last year, according to an annual survey conducted by the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI). Now in its 16th year, the annual State of the Industry Survey included input

Industry growth and sales in 2014 has led the foodservice packaging industry to forecast even greater optimism for 2015 than last year, according to an annual survey conducted by the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI).

Now in its 16th year, the annual State of the Industry Survey included input from foodservice packaging converters, raw material and machinery suppliers, foodservice distributors and operators. More than 60 FPI members and invited guests, including members of FPI’s sister association, Pack2Go Europe, shared their business growth successes and challenges from 2014. FPI then collected the changes to sales volume and profits, expansion and purchasing plans, opportunities and challenges.

“FPI’s annual State of the Industry Survey provides an inside look at the industry — how we’re doing and where we’re going,” said Lynn Dyer, president of FPI. “It’s encouraging to see so much optimism in this year’s report even though the industry continues to face economic and environmental challenges.”

Nearly 85% of foodservice packaging manufacturers and suppliers experienced growth in volume, and more than 60% reported profit growth in 2014. That’s up from 60% and 50%, respectively, in last year’s survey. This year, nearly three quarters of the industry expect both volume expansion and profit growth. Foodservice operators that responded were also overwhelmingly optimistic and all predicted sales to increase by year-end.

In another positive sign for the industry, nearly 60% of the North American and European manufacturers reported corporate expansion plans through construction of new facilities, expansion of current facilities, mergers and acquisitions. Three-quarters of North American and European converters also plan to purchase new machinery in 2015.

With regard to growth potential over the next five years, respondents overwhelmingly envision market expansion in the fast casual sector, due to the segment drawing customers from traditional quick service restaurants. Other areas for potential growth include convenience stores and supermarkets / grocery stores.

North American and European converter and supplier respondents highlighted five common challenges facing the industry (ordered from most to least important):

Increasing raw material costs.

Margin compression.

Environmental activism.

Public perception of packaging or foodservice packaging as “waste.”

Recovery / end of life options for foodservice packaging.

Complete survey results are distributed to FPI members and contributing participants only.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/survey-points-to-confidence-in-foodservice-packaging-industry/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/survey-points-to-confidence-in-foodservice-packaging-industry/TravelCenters Announces 2015 “Citizen Driver” Award Recipientshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/OyvkTtRXDCY/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/travelcenters-announces-2015-citizen-driver-award-recipients/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 14:31:23 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58731“Citizen Driver is a way to recognize the best of the best in the truck driving community,” says CEO of TravelCenters. TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel center brands, announced its second annual “Citizen Driver” Award recipients during the Citizen Driver ceremony at the 2015 Mid-America Trucking

]]>“Citizen Driver is a way to recognize the best of the best in the truck driving community,” says CEO of TravelCenters.

TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel center brands, announced its second annual “Citizen Driver” Award recipients during the Citizen Driver ceremony at the 2015 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

The Citizen Driver Award recognizes professional drivers who help bring respect to the truck driving profession.

TravelCenters launched the Citizen Driver program in 2013 in an effort to honor the many great, hardworking professional truck drivers that keep our economy going. Citizen Drivers not only have an exemplary career in trucking, they are great examples of the kind of people who honor the great profession of truck driving. By demonstrating their good citizenship, safety, community involvement, and leadership, they are shining examples of all of the hard working men and women in this industry with whom there is pride in being associated.

The 2015 Citizen Drivers are listed below. Each driver has picked their favorite TA or Petro Stopping Centers location, which will be renamed after them. Citizen Drivers also received a Citizen Driver Award package from TA and Petro.

“Citizen Driver is a way to recognize the best of the best in the truck driving community. It is not just about being good at their jobs, but for setting the example of being true leaders and individuals that others admire and respect. We are extremely proud of all our honorees and to play a role in support of the companies and drivers that make up the great truck driving industry,” shared Tom O’Brien, president and CEO of TravelCenters.

TravelCenters accepted nominations for the Citizen Driver Award throughout last year, and received nominations from a wide variety of people—fleet owners and executives, other drivers, friends, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, trucking organization members, and trucking industry suppliers—wanting to recognize the deserving drivers who have touched their lives. Distinguished members of the trucking industry, Bill Graves, president and CEO of the ATA; Jim Johnston, president of OOIDA; Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women In Trucking; Micah Jackson, publisher for Target Media Partners; Deborah Lockridge, editor, Heavy Duty Trucking; and on air trucking radio personalities, Eric Harley of Red Eye Radio; Dave Nemo of Road Dog Radio; and Steve Sommers of America’s Truckin’ Network, judged the submitted nominations and selected the honorees who excelled in the identified categories.

The 2016 Citizen Driver Award nomination form, rules and other information will be posted to the TA and Petro Stopping Centers Website in May 2015. Nominations will be accepted throughout 2015 and the new honorees will be announced at the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show.

In the most recent ‘Voted Best’ professional driver survey, drivers preferred TA and Petro 6 to 1 in the ‘Best Truck Stop Experience’ category. These results are based on an independent TA/Petro survey of Overdrive magazine readers. The ratios depict professional driver preference for TA and Petro versus the next closest truck stop brand.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/travelcenters-announces-2015-citizen-driver-award-recipients/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/31/travelcenters-announces-2015-citizen-driver-award-recipients/CST Brands, CrossAmerica Partners Reorganize Leadershiphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/vPeR1uyjG94/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/cst-brands-crossamerica-partners-reorganize-leadership/#respondMon, 30 Mar 2015 15:03:49 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58664CST Brands’ Jeremy Bergeron to take the helm as president of CrossAmerica Partners. CST Brands Inc. and CrossAmerica Partners LP announced that Joe Topper, the CEO and president of CrossAmerica, has decided to retire as CEO effective Sept. 30, 2015. In order to ensure a smooth leadership transition, Topper will resign as president of CrossAmerica

]]>CST Brands’ Jeremy Bergeron to take the helm as president of CrossAmerica Partners.

CST Brands Inc. and CrossAmerica Partners LP announced that Joe Topper, the CEO and president of CrossAmerica, has decided to retire as CEO effective Sept. 30, 2015.

In order to ensure a smooth leadership transition, Topper will resign as president of CrossAmerica effective immediately and Jeremy Bergeron, who served as CST Brands’ senior vice president of integration and development operations, has been named CrossAmerica’s president.

Topper will continue the day-to-day management of CrossAmerica until Sept. 30. Bergeron will report to Topper until Topper retires as CEO. Topper will also continue to serve on the boards of both CrossAmerica and CST Brands after he formally steps down as CEO.

“I look forward to working side-by-side with Jeremy and introducing him to our great employees, as well as the Allentown, Pennsylvania community,” said Topper. “One thing is certain, he will definitely need warmer clothes.”

“Without a doubt,” said Bergeron, “Joe’s shoes are big ones to fill, but my family and I are thrilled with the prospect of joining the Allentown community.”

David Hrinak, CrossAmerica’s current executive vice-president and chief operating officer, will continue in his role and report directly to Bergeron. Hrinak brings decades of experience in the industry, and a calm, steady leadership presence to the organization.

“We want to thank Joe for his tremendous leadership and for graciously giving us six months to make this a seamless transition,” said Kim Lubel, chairman, CEO and president of CST Brands. “With this strong leadership succession plan, we hope to continue to create value for our shareholders and unit holders. We are excited for the next phase in the growth of our integrated company.”

]]>Wayne celebrates flagship fueling site at 7-Eleven in Round Rock with discounted fuel for first 100 guests on April 2.

Wayne Fueling Systems, a global provider of fuel dispensing, payment, automation, and control technologies for retail and commercial fuel stations, whose corporate headquarters are in Austin, Texas, joins convenience retailer 7-Eleven in inviting the Central Texas community to a commemoration event in Round Rock on April 2, 2015.

The occasion at the 7-Eleven store at 2801 La Frontera Boulevard will celebrate the recent installation of Wayne Ovation Fuel Dispensers. A gasoline discount and in-store specials will be part of the day’s activities. The 7-Eleven food store and gas station is located less than two miles from Wayne’s corporate headquarters and is considered the company’s flagship fueling site.

Wayne employs over 500 people in Austin and about 1,400 globally. The company has been doing business for nearly 125 years.

“The 7-Eleven location near Wayne’s campus is a great fit for our flagship fueling site,” Wayne CEO Neil Thomas said. “It makes us extremely proud that 7-Eleven has chosen to showcase our fuel pumps at the gas station near our corporate headquarters.”

“We want our guests to have a fast and easy fueling experience. And that’s what the Ovation2 dispenser helps to offer,” 7-Eleven Director, Gasoline Environmental Compliance and Remediation Ron Fulencheck added. “It’s been a pleasure working with Wayne on this project, and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

To celebrate this occasion, Wayne will be sponsoring a discount of the 87 octane fuel for the first 100 guests at the 7-Eleven site on La Frontera, from 10 a.m. -12p.m. on April 2, 2015. The reduced cost will be $1.49 per gallon for cars, SUVs, pick-up trucks or motorcycles (maximum 30 gallons and no outside containers allowed). Additionally and compliments of 7-Eleven, customers will receive a free Big Gulp fountain soft drink, coffee, or Slurpee beverage with the purchase of any hot food, cold sandwich, or bakery item throughout the day.

“There has been an increase of Wayne employees stopping into my station since we’ve installed the Wayne equipment,” 7-Eleven Franchisee Phuong Duong noted. “I’m looking forward to getting the word out about this day’s promotion to bring even more guests to the site.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/wayne-fueling-systems-offers-gasoline-for-1-49-per-gallon/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/wayne-fueling-systems-offers-gasoline-for-1-49-per-gallon/Kwik Chek Partners With P97 Networkshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/PIUxeiW_pYM/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/kwik-chek-partners-with-p97-networks/#respondMon, 30 Mar 2015 12:43:15 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58671Rolls out mobile app for a more secure, convenient customer experience. Kwik Chek, which operates 39 locations across Texas and Oklahoma, is pioneering new connected, personalized experiences for its customers by partnering with P97 Networks. P97 Networks built on Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT) services and other Microsoft technologies to create a pair of

]]>Rolls out mobile app for a more secure, convenient customer experience.

Kwik Chek, which operates 39 locations across Texas and Oklahoma, is pioneering new connected, personalized experiences for its customers by partnering with P97 Networks.

P97 Networks built on Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT) services and other Microsoft technologies to create a pair of solutions: PetroZone Mobile Commerce, a mobile app that enables navigation, cashless payment and smart digital offers, and PetroZone Retail Fuels Module (RFM), a cloud-based solution powered by Microsoft Dynamics AX modern point of sale system that integrates with the forecourt system which controls the fuel pumps, back office and financial systems.

The mobile app, PetroZone Mobile Commerce for Windows, Android and iOS, enables customers to connect via the cloud to geo-locate the nearest Kwik Chek location. This means they have the ability to reserve a pump from the convenience of their car, and find out about the availability of a car wash, ATM and other services. Using secure, multifactor authentication, the app allows secure payments to be made from customers’ debit/credit card or linked to their checking account. Instead of swiping a card, customers can pay by a scan of their mobile phone.

With the PetroZone app, no cardholder data is ever stored or transmitted to or from the phone. It’s also considered a more secure method of payment compared to credit cards.

PetroZone’s cloud-based platform is powered by Microsoft Azure—which can either be licensed or hosted and managed by P97 and is integrated with Kwik Chek’s loyalty system. With each purchase, customers accumulate points toward future discounts. While customers are saving money, new insights from customer data enables Kwik Chek to better control inventory, reduce costs and create much more effective marketing.

P97 plans to roll out its solution to 5,000 locations in 2015, both for Kwik Chek and other customers in the U.S. — a major sweep it believes will signal a turning point for the convenience industry.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/kwik-chek-partners-with-p97-networks/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/kwik-chek-partners-with-p97-networks/General Mills Outlines Key to Winning in Snackshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/6cRIxYd8n4A/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/general-mills-outlines-key-to-winning-in-snacks/#respondMon, 30 Mar 2015 12:08:39 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58668“To drive traffic and leverage snack occasions throughout the day, c-stores must offer both healthier and more indulgent snacks with messaging around better-for-you snacking in the morning and towards satisfying cravings or treats later in the day,” says General Mills spokesperson. Snacking is a very important occasion for convenience store retailers, but different types of

]]>“To drive traffic and leverage snack occasions throughout the day, c-stores must offer both healthier and more indulgent snacks with messaging around better-for-you snacking in the morning and towards satisfying cravings or treats later in the day,” says General Mills spokesperson.

Snacking is a very important occasion for convenience store retailers, but different types of snacks appeal to consumers at different times of day. As convenience stores look to meet the diverse needs of its customers, General Mills Convenience & Foodservice recently conducted a survey to uncover shoppers’ attitudes towards snacking and how it impacts their buying behavior.

Snacking is driven by both functional and emotional needs, but cravings top the list as the No. 1 motivator overall.

25% of snacking occasions are motivated by cravings.

18% are motivated by hunger.

11% are motivated by the desire for a treat.

9% are motivated by routine.

8% are motivated by the need for a pick-me-up.

However, snacking motivations vary by daypart. Snacking starts healthier and then turns indulgent in the afternoon and evening.

19% of c-store snacking occurs between 9-11 a.m. and the primary motivator is hunger.

37% of c-store snacking occurs between 12-3 p.m. and the primary motivator is hunger.

20% of c-store snacking occurs between 4-7 p.m. and the primary motivator is the desire for a treat.

15% of c-store snacking occurs between 8-11 p.m. and the primary motivator is cravings.

C-store snacks are likely to be spontaneous, eaten right away and consumed with a beverage.

6 out of 10 c-store snack occasions are spontaneous.

6 out of 10 c-store snacks are for immediate consumption.

7 out of 10 are paired with a beverage.

Implications/Advice for Retailers“To drive traffic and leverage snack occasions throughout the day, c-stores must offer both healthier and more indulgent snacks with messaging around better-for-you snacking in the morning and towards satisfying cravings or treats later in the day,” said Lindsey Shepherd, consumer insights researcher at General Mills Convenience and Foodservice. “There is also an opportunity to drive more snack dollars by leveraging the strength of beverages, a huge traffic driver for c-stores today. Retailers should create smart promotions pairing beverages with popular snack items to increase the overall ring.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/general-mills-outlines-key-to-winning-in-snacks/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/30/general-mills-outlines-key-to-winning-in-snacks/CDC Ads Take Aim At E-Cigshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/L0HPtWY2X3I/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/cdc-ads-take-aim-at-e-cigs/#respondFri, 27 Mar 2015 14:23:02 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58613“We believe leadership is needed—both at the FDA and in the public health community—to stem the increasingly negative messaging about the e-cig/vapor category,” says Wells Fargo spokesperson. New CDC ads, which are set to begin airing Monday, March 30, depict warnings from former smokers and, for the first time ever, former e-cig users/vapers, which the

]]>“We believe leadership is needed—both at the FDA and in the public health community—to stem the increasingly negative messaging about the e-cig/vapor category,” says Wells Fargo spokesperson.

New CDC ads, which are set to begin airing Monday, March 30, depict warnings from former smokers and, for the first time ever, former e-cig users/vapers, which the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) believes is warranted given its view that many vapers continue to smoke combustible cigarettes, too, according to a report by Wells Fargo Securities LLC.

The CDC cited a 2014 study from the Nicotine & Tobacco Research publication that estimates 75% of e-cigarette users continue to smoke combustible cigs, or ‘dual use.’

“Whether or not e-cig use is more or less harmful than combustible cigs remains a hotly contested issue, though many studies suggest that e-cigs can be less harmful than combustibles. Further, many public health experts do believe in the much lower relative risk of e-cigs vs combustible cigs. E-cigs remain more or less unregulated as we await the FDA’s final regulatory proposal from the FDA after the initial deeming regs on e-cigs were proposed in April 2014,” noted Bonnie Herzog, managing director, beverage, tobacco and convenience research.

“Unfortunately, there continues to be lack of vapor industry and public health alignment, which is in turn driving worsening public perception of the vapor category. We believe leadership is needed—both at the FDA and in the public health community—to stem the increasingly negative messaging about the e-cig/vapor category given the potential for e-cigs/vapor to positively impact public health— though we acknowledge more studies are needed,” Herzog said.

Wells Fargo continues to see “vast opportunity” for vapor long term and continue to believe consumption of vapor and other non-combustibles could surpass consumption of combustible cigs in the next decade (by 2025).

“While we estimate the industry will continue to grow robustly in 2015 ( approximately 40% topline growth), reaching retail sales of $3.5 billion, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the increased uncertainty we have observed among investors, our retailer/industry contacts, and consumers over the past 6-12 months. We believe this unfortunate trend is being driven by: (1) mixed messages from the media; (2) lack of FDA regulation and need for leadership role; and (3) lack of vapor industry or public health alignment, which are in turn driving worsening public perception of the vapor category. This is exacerbated by the fact that it is difficult for the industry to defend itself or make any modified risk claims (that their products could be less harmful than combustible cigs),” Herzog said.

“We remain bullish long term and continue to believe technological innovation is crucial and that Big Tobacco will be pivotal in shaping the vapor industry,” she added.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/cdc-ads-take-aim-at-e-cigs/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/cdc-ads-take-aim-at-e-cigs/House Takes First Step on Data Breach Notification Standardhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/GY0hj3aXyVQ/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/house-takes-first-step-on-data-breach-notification-standard/#respondFri, 27 Mar 2015 14:04:33 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58607Retailers Laud Rep. Pompeo amendment on third-party notification. The National Retail Federation (NRF) issued the following statement from Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade’s markup of The Data Security and Breach Notification Act: “We commend the Subcommittee for moving forward

The National Retail Federation (NRF) issued the following statement from Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade’s markup of The Data Security and Breach Notification Act:

“We commend the Subcommittee for moving forward with bipartisan legislation designed to enhance business and consumer protections against data theft. Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Burgess, R-Texas and his colleagues, including Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. and Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., we are one step closer to enactment of an effective and uniform national standard for data breach notification.

“In that vein, we are particularly pleased that the Subcommittee approved the amendment offered by Rep. Pompeo, and supported by Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., which will close third-party notice holes. Thanks to the Pompeo Amendment, consumers will receive more effective notification about breaches and, most importantly, businesses will be incentivized to enhance their data security practices.

“As we highlighted in our testimony before the Subcommittee last week, the retail industry supports a strong and effective data breach notification law that would enhance consumer protections and provide a uniform data breach notification standard for all businesses and firms handling sensitive customer data with equal or equivalent requirements and obligations.”

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/house-takes-first-step-on-data-breach-notification-standard/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/house-takes-first-step-on-data-breach-notification-standard/Taco Bell Debuts Biscuit Tacohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/QjL-6pAi8xM/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/taco-bell-debuts-biscuit-taco/#respondFri, 27 Mar 2015 13:59:58 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58604“This year is about making sure we continue to give people the food they crave in a way that’s unique to Taco Bell,” says CEO, Taco Bell Corp. It’s been one year since Taco Bell shook up morning routines and launched its innovative Breakfast menu of Burritos, all-in-one AM Crunchwraps and Cinnabon Delights. Yesterday, Thursday,

]]>“This year is about making sure we continue to give people the food they crave in a way that’s unique to Taco Bell,” says CEO, Taco Bell Corp.

It’s been one year since Taco Bell shook up morning routines and launched its innovative Breakfast menu of Burritos, all-in-one AM Crunchwraps and Cinnabon Delights. Yesterday, Thursday, March 26, the brand launched the Biscuit Taco on Thursday, and is encouraging people to escape the same round breakfast sandwich by defecting to the next generation of breakfast at Taco Bell.

Taco Bell listened to fans and friends who shared that biscuits are a breakfast staple. Known to add más flavor to people’s lives, Taco Bell took a warm, fluffy, buttery biscuit, folded it in the shape of a taco and filled it with classic breakfast flavors that people love, like sausage, eggs and cheese or Taco Bell’s new premium marinated all-white-meat Crispy Chicken that is breaded in tortilla chips and served with Jalapeno Honey or Country Gravy.

“This year is about making sure we continue to give people the food they crave in a way that’s unique to Taco Bell,” said Brian Niccol, CEO, Taco Bell Corp. “Our Biscuit Taco delivers just that; it will reinvent the fast food breakfast experience by moving away from boring, round sandwiches and inserting bold tastes and flavors. Ultimately, we aim to make the breakfast day-part as famous as our late night.”

The Biscuit Taco will be offered at participating locations for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $2.49 excluding tax, in the following options:

Sausage, Egg and Cheese (369 calories)

Bacon, Egg and Cheese (380 calories)

Crispy Chicken with Country Gravy (388 calories)

Crispy Chicken with new signature Jalapeno Honey (471 calories)

As always at Taco Bell, customers have the option to customize their orders to their liking, and can do so at their convenience via Taco Bell’s new Mobile Ordering and Payment App.

MarketingTo support the next generation of breakfast, Taco Bell will be launching a multi-channel marketing campaign empowering people to change their morning routine and “defect” to a new kind of breakfast at Taco Bell. The campaign includes a three minute film produced by Deutsch L.A., as well as a 60 second spot and 15 second customer testimonial spots featuring real Breakfast Defectors that begin airing on Thursday, March 26, 2015.

“When we launched breakfast last year, we wanted to be so disruptive that customers’ heads and cars turned towards our drive-thrus,” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer, Taco Bell Corp. “Building on that momentum, we’re now putting a spotlight on today’s mundane daily breakfast routine to inspire defection towards the next generation of breakfast at Taco Bell.”

To watch the full three minute film, visit www.RoutineRepublic.com. Additionally, customers can visit www.BreakfastDefectors.com for a chance to be rewarded for building their Taco Bell breakfast habits.

Taco Bell’s Crispy ChickenIn addition to the new Biscuit Taco at breakfast, Taco Bell will be giving customers bold flavor and bold crunch by offering Crispy Chicken throughout the day and night. The Chickstar, Crispy Chicken Grillers and Double Crispy Chicken Quesadilla will be available for a limited time at participating locations beginning Thursday, March 26, 2015. People can also customize their orders by substituting or adding the new crispy chicken to their favorite items. Taco Bell’s new premium marinated all-white-meat Crispy Chicken is breaded in tortilla chips and comes with a variety of flavorful sauces.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/the-hershey-co-reveals-easter-traditions/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/27/the-hershey-co-reveals-easter-traditions/Exploring Future Fuel Demandhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/68Btx2QRR-A/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/exploring-future-fuel-demand/#respondThu, 26 Mar 2015 14:55:32 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58518Drivers are becoming younger, but it doesn’t mean they’re driving more. By David Bennett, Senior Editor One of the forwarding looking topics at this year’s M-PACT show in Indianapolis is how new technology is driving U.S. fuel sales. In some cases, however, technology is combining with other factors to slow fuel sales, including younger Americans

One of the forwarding looking topics at this year’s M-PACT show in Indianapolis is how new technology is driving U.S. fuel sales.

In some cases, however, technology is combining with other factors to slow fuel sales, including younger Americans propensity to drive less, explained John Eichberger, vice president of government relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and the executive director of the Fuels Institute. In a presentation March 25 to an audience consisting mainly of convenience store retailers and fuel suppliers, Eichberger presented some evolving trends, including:

Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) are gaining interest with American consumers, but there’s a slow rate of adoption.

AFVs are still expensive to produce.

Overall, the country is producing vehicles with better gas mileage. And because Americans are driving less, less fuel is being sold at the pump.

Tomorrow’s vehicles will offer even more technology, but add less to the actual driving experience.

AFVs are vehicles that run solely on alternative fuel and do not run on regular gasoline. This includes vehicles that operate using battery electricity, propane, natural gas or hydrogen.

In addition, ethanol fuels are gaining more traction as far as retail offerings—with E85 leading the way—but still are only offered in about 3,000 stations.

While alternative fuel technology may be becoming a larger part of the conversation, it’s one of the contributing factors to lower fuel sales in the U.S. Others contributors are the production of more fuel-efficient automobiles and a shift in driver demographics. This includes a significant segment of Millennials who are driving less based on changing cultural needs, as well as a growing demographic of cash-poor Americans.

“Drivers today are very different from the driver of 30 and 40 years ago,” Eichberger said. “How many teenagers today are focused on cars? The culture is changing. We’re seeing them move back to the cities. There’s mass transit. They’re not driving as much. They’re living on their phones.”

Eichberger said that retailers who sell fuel—both gasoline and alternative offerings—will have to watch the rapidly changing dynamics to determine the right course for them when it comes to fuel sales.

Industry experts say that store operators want to see more demand for alternative fuels before taking an expensive leap in terms of investment. A tax credit expiring in 2019 that gives automakers incentive to produce the vehicles gives sellers a limited amount of time to build up consumer demand.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/exploring-future-fuel-demand/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/exploring-future-fuel-demand/Nielsen, RetailNext Form Strategic Relationshiphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/s7RhsxwSYhE/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/nielsen-retailnext-form-strategic-relationship/#respondThu, 26 Mar 2015 14:34:39 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58513“We are committed to collaborating with the best in the industry to bring impactful solutions to retailers,” says president of global retail, Nielsen. Nielsen and RetailNext, providers in retail analytics for brick-and-mortar stores, announced a strategic alliance that will bring RetailNext proprietary technology on in-store analytics to Nielsen’s retail client base, including grocery, mass, drug,

Being RetailNext’s preferred go-to market provider in Nielsen’s retail channels will extend Nielsen’s commitment to bring innovative and performance-driven capabilities to their retail clients. It also allows RetailNext to expand in important CPG retail channels.

RetailNext uses cameras and mobile-based technologies to provide comprehensive measurements of shopper activities in-store, delivering a distinct opportunity to measure all aspects of the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. By combining RetailNext technology with Nielsen’s sales performance, promotion, pricing, merchandising, and assortment information, retailers and manufacturers alike will be able to truly understand shopper behavior, and ultimately advance sales and shopper loyalty. This combination can also be used on a more granular level, enabling retailers and their brand suppliers to gauge the real world impact of changes to their store, aisle and category layout.

“As we continue to deepen our relationships with our broad base of CPG retailers, we are committed to collaborating with the best in the industry to bring impactful solutions to retailers and help them grow their business,” said Pat Dodd, president of global retail, Nielsen. “We are excited about the opportunity to share RetailNext’s advanced technology solutions with them and believe this collaboration will be a game-changer for the industry.”

“Given Nielsen’s leadership in the marketplace and their extensive evaluation process, to be chosen to collaborate with them is a real validation of RetailNext’s innovative capabilities,” said Alexei Agratchev, CEO and co-founder of RetailNext. “We are excited about deepening our relationship with Nielsen, and the combined power of Nielsen’s long-established data streams with RetailNext’s rich insight into in-store shopper activity delivers a unique value propositiono to clients of both firms.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/nielsen-retailnext-form-strategic-relationship/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/nielsen-retailnext-form-strategic-relationship/Convenience Valet Welcomes Finkehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/DjAMTdi8nW4/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/convenience-valet-welcomes-finke/#respondThu, 26 Mar 2015 13:38:21 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58515Convenience broker and retail veteran to serve as Southwest region sales manager. Convenience Valet, a supplier of single and double dose over-the-counter (OTC) medications and convenience/travel size personal care and general merchandise, has named Mike Finke as sales manager-Southwest region. Finke brings more than 25 years of experience in the convenience retail industry and was

Convenience Valet, a supplier of single and double dose over-the-counter (OTC) medications and convenience/travel size personal care and general merchandise, has named Mike Finke as sales manager-Southwest region.

Finke brings more than 25 years of experience in the convenience retail industry and was most recently customer development manager for Advantage Sales and Marketing of Austin, Texas with responsibilities covering the Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas markets.

“Mike comes to us with tremendous c-store knowledge, a strong work ethic and a reputation for building relationships,” said Doug Steffen, vice president of sales and business development. “We know his experience in the southwest market, which he knows so well, will continue to strengthen our relationships. We’re very pleased to welcome him on board.”

Convenience Valet continues to expand in all classes of trade offering more than 500 product SKUs. The company is celebrating its 60th year servicing the convenience, grocery, drug, vending, hotel, travel and food industries with the largest selection of nationally-branded products as well as private label OTC. The company is a division of Mechanical Servants LLC, based in Melrose Park, Ill.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/convenience-valet-welcomes-finke/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/26/convenience-valet-welcomes-finke/VERC Enterprises Enters Plymouth Business Hall of Famehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/y-YuFmKT8OQ/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/verc-enterprises-enters-plymouth-business-hall-of-fame/#respondWed, 25 Mar 2015 15:10:50 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58389Wins Best of Plymouth Award for 8th consecutive year. VERC Enterprises, a convenience store and Mobil/Gulf gasoline operator with locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire proudly announces receipt of the 2015 Best of Plymouth Award in the Convenience Stores category, an honor it has taken for eight consecutive years to qualify the company for

VERC Enterprises, a convenience store and Mobil/Gulf gasoline operator with locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire proudly announces receipt of the 2015 Best of Plymouth Award in the Convenience Stores category, an honor it has taken for eight consecutive years to qualify the company for inclusion in the Plymouth Business Hall of Fame.

The Plymouth Award Program annually identifies companies that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category; these businesses are recognized for their proven ability to enhance the positive image of small business service to their customers and community through the use of best practices and programs that generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to select the winners in each category. This year’s award recipients were determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Plymouth Award Program and data provided by third parties.

VERC Enterprises is among a very small group of businesses to hold the distinction of winning the Best of Plymouth Award for consecutive years; as such the company now holds distinction with a Hall of Fame designation.

“It is an honor to once again receive the Best of Plymouth Award in the Convenience Stores category,” said Leo Vercollone, president of VERC Enterprises. “And taking a place in the Hall of Fame makes everyone in our fine professional family proud; our commitment to the communities we serve is steadfast.”

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/verc-enterprises-enters-plymouth-business-hall-of-fame/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/verc-enterprises-enters-plymouth-business-hall-of-fame/EquiTrend Study Names Brands of the Yearhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/OE5Ohji6tEM/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/equitrend-study-names-brands-of-the-year/#respondWed, 25 Mar 2015 14:47:10 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58385Sheetz takes the award in the c-store category. The 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend study, an annual study of brands, recently released its “Brand of the Year” awards to brands that rank highest in Equity. The EquiTrend Brand Equity Index is comprised of three key factors—Familiarity, Quality and Consideration—that result in a Brand Equity rating for

The 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend study, an annual study of brands, recently released its “Brand of the Year” awards to brands that rank highest in Equity.

The EquiTrend Brand Equity Index is comprised of three key factors—Familiarity, Quality and Consideration—that result in a Brand Equity rating for each brand. For this, the 27th annual study, more than 38,000 Americans assessed over 1,400 brands across 148 categories.

Sheetz took the 2015 brand award in the convenience store category. Shell was honored in the gasoline category. Dollar Tree ranked first in the value store category, and Costco was awarded in the warehouse club category.

The brands Americans love say a lot about how they live. The study found that in 2015, classic trusted brands increasingly co-mingle with “connected” Internet brands based.

Something OldTwelve brands have been ranked No. 1 in equity within their respective categories for five or more years in a row, and many of these scored in the top 10% of all brands measured in EquiTrend in 2015. These brands cover a range of categories, from sandwich shops (Subway), to mass merchandisers (Target), paint (KILZ), to greeting cards (Hallmark).

“Brands that build and keep their promise over time—and develop strong differentiation—stay relevant for the long term,” noted Joan Sinopoli, vice president of brand solutions at Harris Poll. “Strong equity has value and can sustain companies through hard times. Target remains one of America’s most esteemed brands despite the data breach in 2014, and consumers are willing to give it a chance to rebound.”

Something NewA look at the top non-CPG brands rated in EquiTrend magnifies the importance of technology and connectivity in simplifying and enhancing American lives. Four of the top-ranked brands owe their success to connectivity: Amazon.com, Netflix, PayPal, and YouTube.

“The degree to which connectivity has shifted brand building from something that happens over time to something that can happen in short order is amazing,” Sinopoli commented. “That’s not to say that Amazon or Netflix are comets. They have done careful planning, picked where and how to expand, and developed smart product strategies to help challenge conventional wisdom and quickly become part of how we live our lives today. That’s what branding is all about: making human connections with everyday life.”

The Next Big Thing: Mobile WalletsAs technology continues transforming financial services, for the first time, EquiTrend measured mobile payments. Despite category fragmentation and limited familiarity across brands, the category is poised to transform very quickly. PayPal, the established “click and pay” brand, leads direct competitors by a wide margin.

What does the future hold? EquiTrend shows that any wallet associated with Amazon.com, Google, Apple and major credit card providers gains a solid level of familiarity courtesy of the parent brand, as well as strong quality perceptions and a predisposition to try.

“Market fragmentation, rolling rebranding, and merchants waiting for the shakeout before investing in systems has gotten in the way of adoption,” noted Sinopoli. “When one of these brands gets the execution right and merchant acceptance hits critical mass, consumers appear ready to jump on board. Visa has changed its mobile wallet branding from V.me to Visa Checkout. Mastercard’s PayPass is now MasterPass. Both payment cards are strong financial brands, and clearly the intent is to extend that esteem and solidity to these product extensions,” stated Sinopoli.

From an equity perspective, within the financial services sector, payment cards have not been impacted by the recession. Visa has held its position as the top ranked payment card for five years running.

Harris Poll EquiTrend MethodologyHarris Poll EquiTrend is based on a sample of 38,670 U.S. consumers ages 15 and over surveyed online in English language between Jan. 8 and Feb. 2, 2015. The survey took an average of 30 minutes to complete. The total number of brands rated was 1,410. Each respondent was asked to rate a total of 40 randomly selected brands. Each brand received approximately 1,000 ratings. Data were weighted to be representative of the entire U.S. population of consumers ages 15 and over based on age by sex, education, race/ethnicity, region, income, and data from respondents ages 18 and over were also weighted for their propensity to be online. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in our panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

The Brand Equity Index is the keystone to the EquiTrend program, providing an understanding of a brand’s overall strength. A brand’s Equity is determined by a calculation of Familiarity, Quality and Purchase Consideration. Brand of the Year is determined by a simple ranking of brands.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/equitrend-study-names-brands-of-the-year/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/equitrend-study-names-brands-of-the-year/H.J. Heinz Co., Kraft Foods To Mergehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/cWCR_Z1cuOU/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/h-j-heinz-co-kraft-foods-to-merge/#respondWed, 25 Mar 2015 14:36:24 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58383Combination creates unparalleled portfolio of powerful and iconic brands. H.J. Heinz Co. and The Kraft Foods Group have signed a definitive merger agreement to form The Kraft Heinz Co. The merger will create the third largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth largest food and beverage company in the world. The

H.J. Heinz Co. and The Kraft Foods Group have signed a definitive merger agreement to form The Kraft Heinz Co.

The merger will create the third largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifth largest food and beverage company in the world. The combined company to be named The Kraft Heinz Co.and to be co-headquartered in Pittsburgh and the Chicago area.

The new company will have revenues of approximately $28 billion with eight $1+ billion brands and five brands between $500 million-$1 billion.

The merger is a stock and cash transaction, with Kraft shareholders receiving a special cash dividend of $16.50 per share upon closing and stock in the combined company representing a 49% stake in the new company.

Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital will invest an additional $10 billion in The Kraft Heinz Co.; existing Heinz shareholders will collectively own 51% of the new company.

Significant synergy opportunities exist with a strong platform for organic growth in North America, as well as global expansion, by combining Kraft’s brands with Heinz’s international platform. The Kraft Heinz Co. is fully committed to maintaining an investment grade rating. The company plans to maintain Kraft’s current dividend per share, which is expected to increase over time.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/h-j-heinz-co-kraft-foods-to-merge/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/h-j-heinz-co-kraft-foods-to-merge/U.S. Retailers Struggling To Meet Consumer Expectationshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/h65yZ9lsEPk/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/u-s-retailers-struggling-to-meet-consumer-expectations/#respondWed, 25 Mar 2015 12:58:17 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58387Mobile capabilities and in-store experience fall short, Accenture study finds. U.S. retailers must move quickly to improve their operational capabilities in order to deliver a “seamless retail” experience to customers who say their expectations are not being met, according to new research by Accenture. For the second consecutive year, two studies of “seamless retailing” indicate

U.S. retailers must move quickly to improve their operational capabilities in order to deliver a “seamless retail” experience to customers who say their expectations are not being met, according to new research by Accenture.

For the second consecutive year, two studies of “seamless retailing” indicate a number of gaps between consumer expectations related to product offerings and pricing and the ability of retailers to deliver what customers want, as they shop across a growing number of channels.

A survey of 750 U.S. consumers and a separate analysis of how U.S. retailers operate across multiple sales channels indicate that, in order to win consumer loyalty and achieve growth across all channels, retailers must enhance their mobile commerce offerings and improve the in-store shopping experience. Only 42% of shoppers found it easy to complete a purchase using a mobile device, and when asked which aspect of the shopping experience is most in need of an upgrade, 39% ranked the physical store first, showing that retailers have not made much progress in these categories since last year’s survey.

The research also found that a number of mobile capabilities that can enhance seamless retailing for customers remain underdeveloped. For example, while all of the U.S. retailers assessed as part of Accenture’s benchmarking analysis have mobile optimized websites, only 53% have optimized their Websites for tablets.

According to the consumer survey, respondents said they would like to access services via their mobile phones while shopping in-store. More than a third (39%) said that they would take advantage of the opportunity to earn loyalty points and save money on their purchases through in-store mobile phone offers, and 45% would like to receive real-time promotions sent to their phones or tablet. Yet, only 28% of retailers currently have the capability to deliver that service.

This gap between consumers’ desire for mobility services and the current levels of provision from retailers is further reinforced by the 32% of respondents who said the second biggest improvement retailers need to make in the consumer shopping experience is to enable the use of all three sales channels—physical store, online and mobile—in an integrated way. However, tablet and mobile phone users are able to start shopping on their devices and complete the cycle in-store with only 22% and 19% of retailers, respectively.

When asked specifically about the improvements that are needed to enhance the in-store experience, survey respondents cited easy ordering of out-of-stock merchandise (19%) and free Wi-Fi (15%). In addition, more than one-third (36%) said they would order out-of-stock items via their mobile phone while in-store if they had that option.

“Physical and digital commerce are converging at an incredible pace,” said Dave Richards, global managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice. “The fact that many consumers use their mobile devices to check inventory availability while on their way to a store and are looking for real-time promotions to be sent to their phones means retailers have an opportunity to capitalize on the power of these devices. By investing in mobile applications and frictionless digital payment tools that incorporate loyalty, coupons and rewards in-store, retailers can provide a seamless bridge between customers’ online and offline experiences. All sales channels must be equally desirable to the consumer, so that the path to purchase is not chosen based on satisfaction in one channel over another, but simply on what is most convenient at that time.”

Consumers Demand Transparency, Consistency, ConvenienceThe surveys also found growing consumer expectations for transparency and consistency in pricing. An overwhelming majority (82%) of survey respondents expect a retailer’s prices to be the same in-store and online, a significant increase on the 69% last year. However, Accenture’s benchmarking analysis of retailers indicated that only one-third (34%) had the same pricing in-store and online for more than 80% of the items assessed.

Furthermore, the survey indicated that retailers who don’t have the right online presence and pricing are at risk of losing sales once a physical store closes for the day. If access to a physical site is not possible, 15% of consumers indicated they would shop around online for the best price, rather than buy from the original retailer online or wait to go back to the store, an increase from 9% over last year’s survey.

Shipping and Delivery: Free Continues to Outweigh FastThe survey points to continued price sensitivity, especially when it comes to shipping:

Fifty-seven percent of consumers said they would be willing to wait between four and seven days for free delivery.

Consumers are willing to wait even longer for free delivery: 29% would wait eight days or more, compared to 23% who said the same last year.

At the same time, 26% of respondents said they would be willing to pay $10 or more for same-day delivery for an item they need urgently, 13% would pay extra for next-day delivery and 22% would consider paying $20 or more for delivery within two hours.

Scheduling capabilities are important to shoppers:

More than half the survey respondents (55%) think that scheduling a delivery from retailers is important; 11% said they would be more interested in scheduling a pickup at a collection point and scheduling a delivery during peak than scheduling within a one-hour delivery window (cited by 4%).

When it comes to order fulfilment, 20% of shoppers said they have increased the use of the pickup in-store option this year.

Forty-six percent of consumers said that consolidating an order into one delivery rather than multiple deliveries is “extremely” or “very” important.

“Our findings highlight a clear gap between the cohesion consumers expect from their shopping experience and what they seem to be getting. This suggests it is time for retailers to rethink their investment approach as they look to drive sales,” said Richards. “It is critical for retailers to build the capabilities such as digital marketing and analytics that will enable them to tap into the core strengths of the physical store and seamlessly integrate with the rest of their digital offerings. The winners will be those most successful at transitioning their online visitors into in-store purchasers and vice versa.”

MethodologyAccenture conducted an online survey of 750 U.S. adult consumers to understand consumer preferences to shop seamlessly across channels and the ability of retailers to deliver that seamless experience.

Retailer Benchmarking Study: The Retailer Capabilities Benchmark Study was conducted by a team of Accenture Retail consultants and covered 32 retailers in the U.S. among the 189 globally. The consultants benchmarked retailers using a list of 150 questions to assess the breadth of their multichannel offering and different capabilities.

]]>http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/u-s-retailers-struggling-to-meet-consumer-expectations/feed/0http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/25/u-s-retailers-struggling-to-meet-consumer-expectations/Storefront Crashes: Why They Occur and How to Prevent Themhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/-D7fo2p15Bg/
http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2015/03/24/storefront-crashes-why-they-occur-and-how-to-prevent-them/#respondTue, 24 Mar 2015 20:31:15 +0000http://www.cstoredecisions.com/?p=58336By David Hochman, founder of DJH Marketing Communications Inc. A child or even a dog left in a car with the engine running while parked at a suburban strip mall accidentally engages the transmission and sends an SUV headfirst into a convenience storefront window. After filling up, an elderly woman hits the pedal instead of

A child or even a dog left in a car with the engine running while parked at a suburban strip mall accidentally engages the transmission and sends an SUV headfirst into a convenience storefront window. After filling up, an elderly woman hits the pedal instead of the brake and backs into a cashier hut. A drunk driver loses control and crashes directly into a front window at full speed. Unfortunately, it happens much more often than one would think.

A Google Search for the term “car smashes into storefront” returned about 101,000 results, most of them news articles. A Google News search, which is a Google feature that simply searches headlines from credible news sources worldwide, returned thousands of articles based on the search term “car crashes into building,” with an average of about 4-5 separate incidents cited each week, going back decades. According to the Storefront Safety Council, this is nothing short of an epidemic, with over 4,000 injuries annually and as many as 500 deaths caused by vehicle-into-building crashes.

I recently spoke with Rob Reiter, a co-founder of the Storefront Safety Council. Reiter gained a high level of expertise on the topic of vehicle incursion accidents through his career in the security barrier industry. He became highly motivated to effect a change in the way retailers view the issue after the 2003 Santa Monica Farmer’s Market tragedy in California in which an 86-year-old driver collided with dozens of pedestrians, killing 10 and injuring six.

David Hochman (DH):When it comes to vehicle-into-building collisions, what organizational job title, role or function(s) is or should be responsible for mitigating the risk in a c-store environment?

Rob Reiter:Risk Managers should be looking at the overall problem of vehicle-into-building crashes. For new construction projects, architects and Construction Managers also should be trained to look for vulnerabilities and hazards.

DH: When an accident occurs, how much liability is usually shouldered by the driver?

RR:Sometimes drivers are fully insured and have high limits—their insurance covers the whole costs. But there is something like 30-million uninsured motorists in the U.S., about 12% of all drivers. And many more have minimal insurance that is insufficient to cover repairs to the store and the merchandise in it, not to mention the cost of any injury claims from customers or employees injured in a crash. So counting on the driver to always cover 100% of costs is not a very good strategy.

Additionally, in injury cases, plaintiff attorneys look to see if stores have a record of prior accidents and whether chains have experienced multiple crashes of a similar nature. Being able to prove that storeowners are aware of a hazard and have failed to take steps to correct it can make them a target for liability lawsuits.

DH: What are some of the causes of “pedal misapplication”?

RR:As many as 54% of all storefront crashes are a result of pedal error or other operator error. Pedal error in the context of storefront crashes is usually one of two things:

Most common is a driver pulling into the parking spaces in front and hitting the gas pedal instead of the brake. When this occurs, drivers pulling in fail to stop and, in fact, go over the sidewalk and into the front of the store.

Second most common is a driver leaving the store, getting in his car to leave, and putting the transmission into “drive” instead of “reverse.” Thinking he will move backwards, he usually looks back and hits the accelerator, driving the car forward—hitting the curb or the wheelstop. The driver’s foot is then pushed HARDER into the accelerator and the car accelerates into the building.

The results of either of these driver errors is the same—pedestrians hit on the sidewalk, damage to storefronts, and possible injuries to customers and employees inside the store.

DH: Why has this risk seemingly been overlooked by the c-store industry?

RR:I think that this has been not so much overlooked as it has been disregarded. The published statistics from the storefront Safety Council and the Texas Traffic Institute at Texas A&M University indicate that as many as 20 gas and convenience stores are struck every day in the United States. Statistics provided by storeowners and various third parties show that operators of multiple locations deal with this problem on a regular basis. The absence of a clear building or safety code has allowed individual operators to make poor decisions. On the other hand, there are good corporate citizens such as Wawa in Pennsylvania, which routinely protects customers and employees from this hazard.

I sometimes refer to this question as “the elephant in the parking lot.” Talking about it calls attention to it, attention requires action, and failure to act—or being seen as failing to act—can be a very expensive problem to solve.

It is being addressed in a vigorous fashion by lawyers one lawsuit at a time. There are dozens of lawsuits filed every month for injury claims stemming from storefront crashes at convenience stores. Statistics indicate that 20% of storefront crashes result in an injury to a person or persons other than the driver. That means at least one per day—what is the price for all of those injuries over the course of a year?

DH: What are some simple solutions or fixes that the individual location owner or manager can take?

RR:The simplest solution is to minimize nose-in parking spaces at storefronts. A very large percentage of all accidents occur right at the front door. Where the parking lot layout or the operational requirements of the owners require that there be nose-in parking at the front door, a simple, effective, and less expensive solution is to install tested safety barriers or bollards at the end of parking spaces against the curb or sidewalk to prevent vehicle intrusions. There is a new test standard from ASTM International (F3016) that governs testing of bollards and barriers in this type of application, and architects and planners will be looking at incorporating this into codes, ordinances and building projects in the near future.

DH: What are some simple solutions or fixes that can or should be undertaken on a chain-wide or even industry-wide basis?

RR:Keep track of what is happening and what it is really costing. Protect your customers and employees. A pattern of injuries as a result of a common hazard that is not addressed can be very expensive from a workmen’s compensation standpoint, not to mention from a legal standpoint.

Also— it is time for the industry to get passed the “Customers won’t come into my store if it looks like a fortress” mentality. Wawa has safety barriers and bollards and they are profitable. Walmart is the largest retailer in the world and makes billions in profits every month. Spend some time planning, consult with experts, and don’t try to take the fastest cheapest solution—there are very creative and effective ways to protect your stores and your people without breaking the bank.

DH: According to the data you’ve collected, what states or regions have the highest concentrations of these incidents, and can any inferences or conclusions be drawn from that?

RR:Florida and Pennsylvania have high rates of convenience store crashes, as does California and Texas. But no states or regions are immune.

DH: Would it be more impactful and/or cost-effective to try to change drivers’ behavior through awareness-raising campaigns or is it something that industry/gov’t needs to address with regulatory action?

RR: As I mentioned, the causes of these accidents are well known, and demographics indicate they are going to be increasing. The aging of the American driving population is going to result in more pedal error accidents, the increased use of in-car entertainment and smartphones is going to increase distracted driving accidents, and medical events caused by diabetes or other medical conditions are also increasing as the population ages. Add the rate of DUI and “driving while high” in legal marijuana states, and it is clear that the rate of storefront crashes and convenience store is not going to be coming down for a long long time.

The Storefront Safety Council is comprised of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds who are passionate about ending vehicle-into-building crashes. Founding members include experts in perimeter security, parking, personal injury law, risk management, architecture and related professions and industries. For more information, please visit www.storefrontsafety.org and email Rob Reiter.

]]>To meet consumers’ evolving preferences for nourishing snacks, the Kellogg’s Convenience team introduces new Special K Snack Bars in three unique flavors: Berry Medley, Salted Caramel Chocolate and Salted Pretzel Chocolate. All three varieties are made with appealing ingredients that consumers want, recognize and feel good about eating. With fruit, chocolate pieces, oats, rice crisps, pretzels, and other ingredients consumers can see and taste, Special K Snack Bars deliver a light, yet satisfying texture; the perfect combination of chewy and crispy.As a $1.2B brand in the U.S., Special K is well positioned to grow the snack bar category beyond the morning day part. Morning snacking has increased from 22% in 2010 to 37% in 2014, opening the door for retailers to capitalize on this daypart while expanding into the all-day occasion.
For More Information From Kellogg’s Convenience
www.kelloggsconvenience.com
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]]>Snyder’s-Lance Inc., maker of innovative, premium and “better for you” snacks, is adding more gluten-free products to its growing product lineup. Cape Cod is introducing gluten-free Dipping Shells packed with whole grains. Pretzel Crisps, is introducing gluten-free Minis in two flavorful varieties, Original and Salted Caramel. Eatsmart Naturals’ new Sea Salt and Lime Dipping Chips offer a mouthwatering blend of potato and chickpea flavors. Lance’s new gluten-free Peanut Butter and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Crackers combine the great Lance taste in a bite-sized snack. This is a major gluten-free product breakthrough as Snyder’s-Lance is the first company to pioneer this important innovation.
www.snyderslance.com
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]]>http://www.cstoreproducts.com/gluten-free-lineup/feed/0http://www.cstoreproducts.com/gluten-free-lineup/Energy Boosthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/xdseZJ2YXQU/
http://www.cstoreproducts.com/energy-boost/#respondTue, 24 Mar 2015 19:40:28 +0000http://www.cstoreproducts.com/?p=57704What makes Rhino Rush energy shots work so well is a special blend of herbal ingredients that, when combined, maximize energy potential. Take caffeine for instance. When used alone caffeine is good for an energy boost, but lacks longevity, can cause jitters and agitation, and restricts blood flow. But when properly combined with other selective […]

]]>What makes Rhino Rush energy shots work so well is a special blend of herbal ingredients that, when combined, maximize energy potential. Take caffeine for instance. When used alone caffeine is good for an energy boost, but lacks longevity, can cause jitters and agitation, and restricts blood flow. But when properly combined with other selective ingredients (ephedra, yohimbine, and others), caffeine will show its full potential as an energy supplement. Understanding how the ingredients work, and then combining them in order to maximize energy, health, and performance is what make Rhino Rush so revolutionary. It is widely known that EPHEDRINE ALKALOIDS are banned by the FDA. In August of 2006, the Federal Appellate Division upheld the final rule banning Ephedrine Alkaloids at any dosage in dietary supplements; however the EPHEDRA plant is not subjected to the rule and is currently legal in all 50 states. Rhino Rush is 100% legal!
For More Information From Rhino Rush
www.RhinoRush.comSales@RhinoRush.com
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]]>http://www.cstoreproducts.com/energy-boost/feed/0http://www.cstoreproducts.com/energy-boost/Draft Non-Alcoholic Beerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/LiYd1_1aFwg/
http://www.cstoreproducts.com/draft-non-alcoholic-beer/#respondTue, 24 Mar 2015 19:37:15 +0000http://www.cstoreproducts.com/?p=57701ArKay Malt Beverages, a division of ArKay Beverages, has launched the world’s first non-alcoholic craft draft beer collection. According to Jose Jaramillo, ArKay’s general manager for the USA and Europe, ArKay non-alcoholic craft beer can be sold virtually anywhere. No liquor license is required to serve the beer to the consumer. Gas stations and convenience […]

]]>ArKay Malt Beverages, a division of ArKay Beverages, has launched the world’s first non-alcoholic craft draft beer collection. According to Jose Jaramillo, ArKay’s general manager for the USA and Europe, ArKay non-alcoholic craft beer can be sold virtually anywhere. No liquor license is required to serve the beer to the consumer. Gas stations and convenience stores are among the company’s targets. Its beer dispensers can be installed anywhere as long as there is an electrical cord. Start up costs less than $2,500. The draft is available in 30-liter returnable and non-returnable kegs that come with the beer dispensers. The smallest is a one-station beer dispenser, and the larger one is 20 feet long and holds 12 station beer dispensers. Non-alcoholic beers are good for everyone, because they have 0% alcohol by volume, while their competitors have up to 0.5 % alcohol by volume.
For More Information From ArKay Malt Beverages
www.arkaymaltbeverages.com
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]]>http://www.cstoreproducts.com/draft-non-alcoholic-beer/feed/0http://www.cstoreproducts.com/draft-non-alcoholic-beer/Meat Chipshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConvenienceStoreDecisions/~3/-UBySkocECE/
http://www.cstoreproducts.com/meat-chips/#respondTue, 24 Mar 2015 19:25:06 +0000http://www.cstoreproducts.com/?p=57698There’s a brand new snack chip hitting the marketplace revolutionizing the way consumers eat protein. Meat Chips finally gives people the protein of a smoothie or a bar, but with the salty crunch of a chip. Meat Chips is the first seasoned gluten-free tortilla chip made with real white chicken meat and ground corn. They […]

]]>There’s a brand new snack chip hitting the marketplace revolutionizing the way consumers eat protein. Meat Chips finally gives people the protein of a smoothie or a bar, but with the salty crunch of a chip. Meat Chips is the first seasoned gluten-free tortilla chip made with real white chicken meat and ground corn. They are available in four different flavors: nacho, salsa, pepper, and ranch. With 21 grams of protein per snack size grab bag, they pack a protein punch with a crunch. I’m happy to send a sample pack your way—just let me know.
For More Information From Meat Chips
www.meatchips.com
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]]>Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt, the pioneers of frozen Greek yogurt, is redefining the frozen dessert aisle once again. Yasso introduced two new flavors to its lineup, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Coffee Chocolate Chip, and revealed the first-ever frozen Greek yogurt candy bars, Sea Salt Caramel Candy Bar and Toffee Crunch Candy Bar. In addition to growing its product line, Yasso also unveiled a bold new look with colorful packaging that aligns with the young, energetic brand. Yasso knows that taste is most important to consumers and its new package design builds up appetite appeal with more powerful product images. The brand’s personality also shines through with brighter colors and fun text. As advertising trends are moving away from subdued colors and black and white, Yasso added pops of color that will attract eyes and taste buds.
For More Information From Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt
www.yasso.com
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]]>Drew’s is pleased to introduce its newest creation, Organic Mango Habanero Salsa. Drew’s started with a base of traditional organic salsa made with a tasty blend of organic tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, garlic and other organic seasonings. Then they added the “Sweet”—organic mangoes. The mangoes in Drew’s Organic Mango Habanero Salsa are a nutritious snack. According to the National Mango Board, mangoes contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals. Next, Drew’s added the “Heat” —organic habanero peppers, which are rated between 100,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville scale, a commonly-used measurement of the spiciness of peppers. The end result of combining these seemingly opposite foods is a delectably balanced organic salsa that starts sweet, ends hot, and will leave customers hungry for more. Drew’s Organic Mango Habanero Salsa is also Non-GMO Project Verified and certified Gluten-Free. Suggested retail price: $3.99-$4.49 per 12-ounce jar.
For More Information From Drew’s
info@chefdrew.comwww.ChefDrew.com
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